The present invention relates to a casing for holding components in vehicles, and, more particularly, to a case for holding electronic components, comprising two fastening lugs, each of which has a fastening opening and which project laterally from mutually corresponding side edges of opposite side walls of the casing.
Casings are used in vehicle construction for holding control equipment for vehicle electronics as shown, for example, in WO 86/06334). They are generally of flat, right parallelepipedic shape and can be fastened, via lugs which project laterally from opposite side walls of the casing, by one flat side of the casing to a mounting surface, such as an engine compartment sidewall.
A sealingly inserted plug strip is provided on the wall lying at the top of the casing to receive a connection plug fitted to a connection cable. The space available for mounting the casing is often so restricted that the connection cable can lead out of the casing only in one predetermined lateral direction. This may give rise to problems if, as is customary, such casings are also intended for right-hand drive vehicles. In this situation, the casing is then installed in a mirror-inverted position, with the result that the connection cable which is to be coupled to the casing has to be taken out of the casing laterally in a direction in which often only inadequate space is available for this purpose.
Installation problems also arise when a plurality of casings of the type in question have to be installed parallel to one another or one behind the other. In this instance, an additional holder to be fastened on the vehicle is required for the installation of each further casing.
An object underlying the invention is to provide a casing which is suitable and equally advantageous for installation in left-hand and right-hand drive vehicles and which makes it possible for such casings to be mounted as a block without using additional holders acting between the casings.
This object has been achieved according to the present invention by providing, from opposite casing sidewalls carrying the first pair of fastening lugs, a second pair of fastening lugs provided with a fastening opening correspondingly project laterally on the casing side edge which each lays opposite the respective first pair of fastening lugs, and the fastening openings of the two pairs of fastening lugs associated with a casing sidewall each lays free from overlap, in a projection through the openings, with respect the opening fastening lug on the same casing wall.
The construction according to the invention is thus distinguished by fastening lugs which project laterally in pairs from opposite side walls of the casing. The fastening lugs provided on the same casing wall are each associated with one another such that the openings provided for the passage of screws are each free from overlap, in their projection, with the fastening lug lying opposite.
It is thus possible, e.g. for installation in right-hand drive vehicles, to mount the casing in the same position as in left-hand drive vehicles, i.e. without mirror inversion, with the sole difference being that in the two types of vehicle a different flat side of the casing will face the respective casing mounting. In both types of vehicle, the connection cable can thus be taken out of the casing in the same direction.
If a plurality of casings are to be disposed one behind the other, fastening lugs on neighboring casings can be brought into line with one another and bolted together. In this situation the casings lay one against the other at least on a part of their flat sides which face one another, so that a compact block of casings can be formed.
An advantageous feature of the present invention also results from the mutual offsetting of the fastening lugs lying opposite one another on a common sidewall of the casing because there results a large free space for the insertion of fastening screws into openings provided for the passage of the screws and also for the application of appropriate screw tools.
Another advantageous feature of the invention is that, when the casing is in the fastened state, its sidewall facing the mounting surface is held in contact therewith, and thus good transmission of heat from the casing to the mounting surface is ensured.
The present invention also offers the advantage that, depending on the space available for its installation, the casing can, if necessary, also be screwed from above to a mounting surface.
A further feature of the present invention offers the advantage that, for the purpose of dissipating heat from the casing, a flat side of the casing can be held in contact with a contact surface even when fastening lugs cannot be used for screwing the casing in place, e.g. because of an obstruction from above.